Last Hours
by EmotionalRockfish
Summary: A deeper look into the time before the forth Kazekage's death, and his feelings on the matter of waging an attack on the leaf. [ONESHOT]


**~Last Hours~**

**A one-shot by EmotionalRockfish**

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_**Rating:** K**  
Disclaimer: **Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto**  
Discription:** A deeper look into the time before the forth Kazekage's death, and his feelings on the matter of waging an attack on the leaf._

Author's Comments: First up, I'll let you know that this was for a task at school, so knowing that my teacher has no knowledge of the Naruto universe I decided not to extend this as much as I could have. Really I just did this because I felt that the yondaime's death was not properly explained and I wanted to create something that showed his views, so this is more like a simple change of perspective and what he really felt, rather than an extension. The basic thing here though is that I tried to limit my use of japanese terms and instead used the english to describe certain things. I hope you are happy with this anyway. I suggest you review as I tend to do review backs as a general rule. 

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Three lengthy days of merciless trekking through the harsh and barren desert was defiantly not going to be a particularly enjoyable experience for the mighty leader of the sand village. Not that he had any individual choice in the matter, his presence at the leaf village's annual Chunin exam, which decided whether or not one could pass into the next rank of ninja and hosted in an important and fierce ally of the nation he controlled, was required with the utmost significance. So much significance that if he were to not attend, it would likely start a war of sorts, and that would be specifically bad under the current circumstances.

Actually, it was quite the opposite, in a weird and ironic way. The sand village was at present preparing to attack the unknowing hidden leaf village during the crucial final exam, and that would most likely lead to unnecessary war, although it wasn't the desired aftermath. The real outcome though, was much more sinister. To annihilate the entire village and it's appalling ninjas. The Kazekage himself in truth did not wish for such things as war, but if it was the cost of his threatening plan, than he frankly did not mind at all.

The man sighed heavily in minor annoyance as he leaned back languidly in his comfortable dark maroon armchair, closing his tired eyes and attempting to relax and unwind. Tomorrow he would reluctantly depart from his village's gates with his body guards, and the stress of the impending travel was starting to reach him. That and the mounting weight of his choice to attack an ally village. The red headed man attempted to push aside the guilt in the pit of his stomach by claiming to only half of the responsibility, the other half belonging to the notorious Orochimaru, who had in turn joined forces with the sand village to aid the leaf's extinction.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, the prodigious leader decided to return to his quarters as he caught sight of the bright and radiating full moon out of his window. It was getting late and he feared that the lack of sleep might cause some unwanted consequences on his long journey. Hastily he made his way through the cold night air to his mansion, heading straight to his bedroom as soon as he was inside of the large and elegant house. Slowly he drifted off, welcoming the sleep happily.

Morning came quickly, just as it always did in the desert. The leader was already at the village gates before ten o'clock with his guards and was feeling the anxiousness arise slowly from inside of him from his brooding the previous night. Clearly he had not slept well, by the tiredness in his eyes, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. Soon he would be off in the desert, his two guards being the only thing keeping him safe, and for some unknown reason that scared him. Perhaps it was the looming threat of death, something that could come so easily if his body guards didn't notice such a threat first. It wasn't like the Kazekage to rely on someone else so much, and it had imbedded some kind of foreign worry into his stomach.

After the necessary goodbyes, the trio were off into the desert. It would take them a few hours to reach the rendezvous point where they were to meet with Orochimaru. Little did the red head know, they were to be his last.


End file.
